Even though the school’s letter grade dropped from a ‘D’ to a ‘C’ by the narrowest of margins, the success of Suncrest Elementary School students is starting to become commonplace. Suncrest Principal Stephanie West says everything they do is “all about the kids.”
“They (the students) are all about their goals and reaching their goals,” said West. “They want to brag about their goals and tell me when they gotten them. That is one of the bright spots for me is when they want to come up and share when they reach their goals. And, they are going higher than that.”
West was one of the speakers at the Community and School Together (CAST) meeting held October 25 at Suncrest.
“Our test scores keep improving,” said West. “We want all of our students to be at 70 percent or higher and we want 96 percent of higher attendance for our students.”
West added the teaching staff has went above and beyond to try and ensure the success of their students.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” she said. “But, our teachers are dedicated, committed and the whole staff just seems to be really pulling together and working together. It’s just a big, good team.”
Also on the CAST program was Diane Stiening, who is the head of Food Services for the Community Schools of Frankfort. She said the food service program began in 1943 when President Harry Truman signed a law that established the program because soldiers getting drafted were viewed as “sickly, in poor physical condition and considered malnourished.”
Stiening said her staff served 708,311 total meals in 2016-2017, including a la carte items, for both students and adults. Broken down, that is roughly 2,564 lunch meals and 1,099 breakfast meals each day. She added in 1991, just 8 percent of students were on free and reduced meals.That figure has now grown to 79 percent who are currently on free and reduced meals.
Stiening said she spends roughly $87,000 a month on food and explained what she is required to have available daily for students.
Stiening said the top five entrees students have in order are: Chicken Smackers, Breakfast for Lunch, Taco Scoops, Pizza and Hamburger. She said Orange Chicken is available as a Chicken Smacker for high school students.
The next CAST meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 29, at Frankfort Middle School and will feature FMS programs, a tour and Community Schools of Frankfort guidance counselors.